Taylor Hicks vs The 50th Annual Grammy Awards

Taylor Hicks nor his eponymous album, Taylor Hicks, see no mention in this year's upcoming Grammy Awards. Am I shocked and surprised? No. Instead, A.I.5 fourth place finisher, Chris Daughtry, scores big with four nominations. His band, Daughtry, sold 3.2 million copies of their self-titled debut, making it the most popular album of the year according to the Billboard reports. It seems Daughtry rocked the charts over the likes of Akon, Fergie and Carrie Underwood. The Grammys air February 10th on CBS.

The entire listing of nominations can be found here, 50th Annual Grammy Awards.

It will be a telling point to see how Daughtry fares when the band is put up against the likes of U2 in the category, "Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal". Accompanying U2 and Daughtry in this competing category, Greenday, Nickelback and White Stripes. That's a huge sign of success and the indication that Chris Daughtry is in this for the long haul. It's a blazing hot honor to be included, in my humble, or sometimes not so humble opinion, in the same category of competition with these groups, but man, especially U2. Blazing. I am duly and truly impressed.
"Crashed" set to Spiderman 3:

Bruce Springsteen, politics aside, has been a favorite of mine since his E Street Band era with the great Big Man, Clarence Clemmons. He may not be up for best album, but he's received a number of nominations, including one for "Once Upon A Time In The West", a track off, "We All Love Ennio Morricone" [Sony Classical]. In that category his biggest competition most likely will be Steve Vai, "The Attitude Song", this track from,"Sound Theories Vol. I & II" [Epic/Red Ink].
"The Rising" by ZenderC (Nice rocking tune.)

A band I have followed and seen many times, Spyro Gyra, surprised me, they are nominated in the Pop Instrumental category for their "Good To Go-Go" album. Amy Winehouse and Kanye West are all over the nomination categories, with my pulling for Winehouse. She may be running down a rocky road with a big monkey on her back, sport the strangest ball of hair ever seen in our lifetime complete with alien eyeliner, but she's brilliant, I love her sound. I'm actually interested in the Grammys this year, much more so than last years' 49th show. The artists are more controversial, the works more interesting overall.

Regarding Daughtry, it will be a definitive sign of his place in the music world, how he fares in the Awards. Man, Daughtry may be the one who truly breaks free from the American Idol stigma. All of this said, this does not diminish my admiration for Taylor Hicks, better luck next album, and word, be more you. Hicks, re-open that book of Mack-Daddy powerhouse soul.